The Lost Civilization
by Apollonir
Summary: After the Battle of the Ark, a UNSC Pelican dropship crash lands on Thessia. Two ODSTs survive the crash and make contact with primitive Asari. Ninety thousand years later, Liara T'Soni discovers a strange looking aircraft and Human remains in an ancient cave burial chamber. The discovery she makes will take the Asari on a journey to discover their true lineage.
1. Ch 1 - Landfall: Prologue

**The Lost Civilization**

* * *

 _After the Battle of the Ark, a UNSC Pelican dropship crash lands on Thessia. Two ODSTs survive the crash and make contact with primitive Asari. Ninety thousand years later, Liara T'Soni discovers Human remains in an ancient cave burial chamber. The discovery she makes will take the Asari on a journey to discover their true lineage._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Landfall (Prologue)**

* * *

 **Installation 00, UNSC Pelican**

 **December 2552**

"Come on! Come on! Punch it!" the Lieutenant shouted in the pilot's ears. They were evacuating the scene before the Halo fired, least they get caught in its blast radius.

"I'm doing 110%!" the pilot, Steve Cortez, shouted back. They could see the _UNSC Amber Fate_ grow in size as they closed the distance to it.

"Not enough! Give me 120!" the Lieutenant ordered.

Sergeant Major John Shepard braced as he felt the Pelican accelerate a bit, the inertial dampeners doing their best to compensate the forces. He was in his full battle dress uniform, BR55 Service Rifle clutched to his chest.

" _All ships, get to the slipspace portal! The Halo is about to fire! Get the hell outta here!"_ somebody ordered on the radio.

' _Come on, God dammit!'_ Shepard prayed in his mind. As a veteran of the war, after being through many battles, including Reach and New Mombasa, he really didn't want to get left behind right at the end. His eyes glanced over the severely understrength platoon he was part of since ODST training days, his surviving comrades. They were just as nervous as he is.

Poor Jenkins was petrified by the prospect of being left behind. He had guts, he had skill, but he was like a child at times. Ashley looked like she was praying. Kaidan's seat was empty, the man fallen at New Alexandria on Reach. James was holding tight in his seat. Major Anderson, a veteran of the Human – Covenant War since Harvest, was severely injured. A medic was tending to his wounds. Campbell and Westmoreland were gone as well.

"Shit!" Cortez cursed as the _Amber Fate_ left without them. "We're through, but the portal is collapsing!" Cortez reported.

"Fucking Christ, the _Forward Unto Dawn_ has been cut in half!" the copilot reported.

The Pelican shook violently. Ashley was screaming. Anderson's exposed guts were jerking from the motion. James looked like he was going to vomit. Shepard felt horrible seeing Anderson like this. He was his role model. A fatherly figure since he was rendered homeless by the Covenant. The only light that filled the troop bay was the red emergency light. Suddenly, a brief flash and the shaking stopped. They lost all power. Zero gravity for a short time.

Then, as the Pelican was rotating in the gravity well of a celestial body, a planet came into sight through the cockpit. Thessia.

* * *

 **Thessia, Continent of Nara**

 **Cradle Valley, 2130 CE**

Liara T'Soni, archaeologist with a PhD in Prothean history, and paleoanthropologist specializing in late Asari evolution, was what most would call the laughing stock of the academic society. Regarded as a genius child, she followed her childhood passion against her mother's will and graduated at the Armali University, soon becoming doctor T'Soni.

Her theories about the Prothean extinction were laughed at. She spent decades in the field, constantly looking for clues. A puzzle's pieces started to fall into place with every site she visited. But it was still a huge puzzle with only a handful of pieces in place. Enough for Liara to speculate and theorize on what she believed these clues hinted at. If she was a matron at least, or a matriarch, her theories would have been looked at differently. But, as a maiden, nobody took her seriously.

On this rainy day, Liara was trekking through the Cradle Valley – what the scientific community believes to be the very region where modern Asari first appeared. Many fossils of modern Asari have been found throughout the continent of Nara and other landmasses. But the oldest ones were found here, in the Cradle Valley. Her work brought her here. Apparently, metal tools had been found in a cave nearby by one of her friends. This could change everything about the history of modern Asari. Until today, it was believed that her species first made use of metals some 25,000 years ago. And the first metal tools were found in the Akrada Mountains, some 900 kilometers from Cradle Valley.

The cave was inaccessible by ground vehicles or hover craft due to the hard terrain. And the civilian skycars weren't exactly suited for "off road" trips. Liara did not wait for her colleagues to get everything from the cars. She left ahead. But she didn't know this particular valley. It was her first time in this valley. Her umbrella was fighting off the downpour. Damn the rain, her geek side got the better of her. With her mind more preoccupied by what she could learn from this discovery, and with the rather not ideal visibility, she strayed off the path.

She walked through the trees until she reached a small clearing. A small creek flowed into the ground through a series of holes. The rain seemed to stop as she finally realized she didn't know where she is. It wouldn't be the first time she gets lost. It was a habit of hers. She did not panic. Liara turned around and took note of her surroundings. She saw the prints left by her boots in the mud.

The sound of a mankita suddenly attracted her attention. Mankita, the name given by the Asari to the monkey-like creatures that live in Nara's temperate forests. The animal was trying to open a fruit's tough shell by banging it against the branch. Liara watched with amusement as it failed and became more and more frustrated. Eventually, the mankita let go of the fruit. It fell down, bounced off a rock and fell into one of the holes in the ground. that the creek was flowing into. It seemed to fall for two or three seconds until it hit something with a loud _BANG_ noise. It was as if… it hit a metal surface.

Curious as always, Liara decided to investigate. She peeked over the hole with great care. She first tested the ground. Last thing she needed was to tread on fragile soil and fall inside and never be able to get out. What she saw through the faint light astounded her. It puzzled her beyond belief. It was mind boggling. Inside the cave the small creek was flowing into… was a metal construct. It was looked like it had a thick layer of rust. But, what struck her, was the completely alien form of it. She was by no means a specialist in vehicles. But this thing looked like nothing her people ever built. Despite the damage it seemed to take, it was still maintaining its shape. But how did it get there?

It was a UNSC Pelican. Unbeknownst to her, she just made the greatest discovery in Asari evolution. A discovery that will take her and her kin on a journey through space and time.

* * *

 **PLEASE READ THESE NOTES FOR CLARIFICATION!**

 **Hello everyone!** Welcome to my new story, _The Lost Civilization_. I recently became more and more interested in Human evolution. And I thought… why not write a story about something along these lines? The idea was almost spontaneous. Halo and Mass Effect gave me the perfect premises for such a fan fiction. I wrote this prologue in three hours. I hope it was decent and that it will get you interested. It's different that most stories out there, as in that it does not focus on war and the such, but on discovering the past and uncovering mysteries.

 **On the updates!** I will not update too fast. I'm focusing on my Mass Effect story for now, but I really wanted to get this story started for a few days now. I put thought into it and I believe I have something really neat here. I am also working 8 hours a day, so it will also cut down my writing time. Alas, you can expect medium sized chapters once a month or a month and a half. I won't make promises. I will try, however, to get the **second chapter out in two weeks!**

 **On the reviews, feedback & questions!** I really like reviews. Especially those that tell me how my writing is like, where I should improve, opinions on how the reader feels about the story/chapter, etc. You are always free to leave reviews or PM me and I will respond t your PMs and reviews. I'd be glad to chat with you on PMs and answer the questions you have. I will moderate anonymous reviews since I had to deal with flamers and ragers. Those reviews don't get through. These are the only ones I will censor. Constructive criticism is more than accepted.

 **Thank you! Stay tuned if you are interested!**

* * *

 **A STORY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Apollonir**


	2. Ch 2 - Chariot of the Gods

**Chapter 2: Chariot of the Gods**

* * *

 **Thessia, Cradle Valley**

 **2130 CE**

Nyxeris was really annoyed at this point. She was Liara's personal assistant on this little expedition. Shiala was frustrated, but not overly so. Little Wing, as Benezia called her, was always like this. She was there to make sure nobody hurts the little princess of House T'Soni. She mentally scolded herself for obeying Liara when she asked Shiala to help carry the gear, thus not keeping an eye on her at all times. A few moments were enough to lose sight of her.

"Liara!" Nyxeris and the other Asari of the team were shouting along the trail that leads to the archaeological site that was the cave entrance where their original expedition was headed for.

"Goddess damn it!" Nyxeris cursed. "I can't even contact her on her omnitool," she complained. "Liaraaa!" she shouted again. Shiala was a bit worried if she was honest with herself. But when she heard Nyxeris say "Benezia will have my ass in a sling if anything happens to her…" she suppressed a little laugh.

"Everyone!" they heard Liara's familiar voice through the trees. "Everyone! I've found something!" she said with great excitement in her voice.

Nyxeris frowned. "Liara! Where the hell were you?" she demanded of her. "Treeya is waiting for us at the cave!"

Treeya Nuwani, one of Liara's older colleagues from university, was the one who found metal tools in the nearby cave. She called Liara in for help with any possible finds of fossils.

"I've found something! Send somebody to tell Treeya we'll be late. Everybody follow me," Liara effectively commanded to her subordinates.

"Liara," Shiala said. She refrained from calling her Little Wing in public. "What did you find?"

The maiden turned to her, her eyes brimming of hope. "I don't know. Not for sure. But it's in a cave on this path, through this small forest. Just follow this creek's course! It's like a ravine or something. And there's something down there!" she replied and took off with her expedition members following her. The muddy soil didn't seem to hinder her in any way. The same could not be said about the other Asari.

* * *

They finally reached the point where the creek flows into what looks like a small ravine with multiple holes in the ground around it. Liara wasted no time in ordering her subordinates to find a suitable place to set up camp and find an adequate hole to descend into. It was already night when they were ready to do any incursions into the cave. But nobody had the energy to do so. Nobody except for Liara and a few other maidens. They had set up pulleys over one of the holes that drops into the underground chamber that housed what everybody believes to be a sort of aircraft.

After a night Liara mostly spent imagining what they'd find down there, she got a few hours of sleep sometime later on in the night. The morning found the camp in a big fuss. Liara and Nyxeris were gearing to descend down into the underground chamber.

"We've confirmed the ground is stone. It should support your weight. Beware of the tree roots that you don't trip on them and get hurt. The trees have grown deep routes," one was briefing them. "You will go nine meters deep. We will keep radio communications open. We will get live video feed from what you see through this camera mounted on your helmet," she explained and patted at the extremely small camera mounted on Liara's protective helmet. "Everything should be set… Good luck down there you two."

"Thank you, Fanit," Liara said and smiled as she was the first one to slowly disappear inside the hole in the ground. Her helmet mounted lantern turned on. Her eyes adjusted to the dark cavern. She saw the underground world for the first time after a few years. The underground – where she learned about Asari evolution during her studies. The damp and dark, yet beautiful small biosphere contained within.

"I see the unknown aircraft. It's ten meters from my position," Liara reported into her radio. "I'm slowly descending… the ground looks like it's made of stone with a layer of mud covering the stone. Touching down… now."

With a 'wet' sound, her boots sunk into the mud. She didn't detach her safety cord. It would be a life saver if somehow the ground gave in and fall in a passage beneath the cavern. Fortunately, it was not going to be the case. She looked around. The chamber seemed to connect to two passages. One followed the water's course and seemed to go deeper underground. The other one went in the opposite direction. Liara slowly walked towards the aircraft. Nyxeris was lowering herself behind her. She was barely at the entrance.

"I'm approaching the vessel," Liara reported. Her team watched the live feed intently. "It looks old. Very old. Looks like the metal… oxidized. Its shape is similar to a bird. It has a head – a cockpit, a body that seems to have a free space, a tail, and engines… Fascinating!"

Liara looked into the wrecked cockpit, her lantern shedding light. Inside, she saw two seats torn apart by the elements and by impacting something at a higher velocity than desired. There were broken controls, destroyed navigation instruments, and vegetation seemed to grow over it. Some mud had collected on the bottom where the pilot's legs would go. Liara tried to get a better look but she couldn't understand the strange symbols. The painting used to write them was half erased.

" _Does anybody understand what's written there?"_ somebody asked from the 'command' tent.

Nyxeris finally descended into the cave and approached the strange aircraft. Liara saw words eroded by time in the cockpit. She could barely make anything of it. Any attempts to climb inside would be futile since she had to stay on her toes to peek over the hull. She approached Nyxeris who was looking around the ship's tail.

"Those look like engines," she remarked. Liara shifted her eyes where Nyxeris' finger was pointing and saw what looked like a rotatable vector thrust engine. "Do you think this is Prothean?" she asked and brought out her omnitool's scanners.

"Doesn't look like anything I've seen in Prothean ruins," Liara answered. "The design is very different from what we assume to be Prothean. But… then again, we don't know a whole lot about the Protheans either. This could belong to a different species."

"Weren't the Protheans the only ancient space faring race known to the galaxy?"

"Doesn't mean there weren't others. This aircraft could as well have been built less than fifty thousand years ago. We can't know until we conduct detailed tests on it," Liara replied. "What does your omnitool tell you?" she asked her.

The omnitool used by Nyxeris was specifically designed for this line of work. It came with multiple features dedicated to field tests and analysis of bones and artifacts. It even came with a bestiary installed. If it recognized a being's remains, it would show the entry from the bestiary. Among other useful tools, it had a molecular scanner, software designed to date the age of various objects based on carbon 14 or uranium decay rate, and an Eezo analyzer. Very expensive as well.

"The hull is made of various alloys… I can detect steel, some composite materials, and some form of titanium on the outer hull."

"Titanium?" Liara asked. "Then it means only its exposed surface oxidized and the rest was preserved. That's good."

"No element zero, though. Very faint traces of it, actually. I'd say is the little Eezo that gathered on it as time passed. Thessia is pretty rich in it."

"Then this couldn't have been a Prothean aircraft," Liara deduced. "Or it might… we won't know for sure," she said and walked inside. The ramp was down and looked damaged by some impact and time. She looked inside. Degraded seats lined the walls. What seemed to be the way into the cockpit was partly obstructed by twisted metal. That much she could see with the help of her lantern. "Judging by the size of these seats, the people who used this should be, on average, 1.5 times wider than an Asari. Height estimates put them in the range of 160 to 180 centimeters."

" _More imposing than your average Asari…"_ Shiala commented through the radio channel.

" _Doctor, what is that?"_ somebody asked.

"What?"

" _That thing under that seat you just looked at a moment ago. Something reflected the light of your flashlight."_

Liara turned back and knelt. She swept the floor with her eyes until something shiny reflected the light of her flashlight. It was easy to miss it. The surface that reflected was tiny, the rest covered by oxidized metal and dirt. Alas, the team got lucky enough to catch sight of it. Liara reached for it and brought it from under the seats. It was an aging pistol.

" _Firearm,"_ Shiala said. _"Be careful, it could be dangerous if it is loaded. Especially after it's been exposed for so long to the elements."_

"Fascinating…" Liara mumbled while examining the pistol. It was pretty heavy. And the barrel was too wide to be a firearm based on mass effect technology. It wasn't feasible to create small arms capable of firing such a heavy and large projectile as this pistol seemed to have been designed for. It was square, boxy, and damn heavy. It was the UNSC's M6 Personal Defense Weapon, a hand cannon for all intents and purposes.

Something inside seemed to move as she jerked the weapon in her hand. Nyxeris was by her side. Liara carefully examined the weapon. She found a small nail-like protrusion from the left side. Remembering how the mechanism to eject the heat sink of a modern firearm functions, she decided to give it a try. She turned from Nyxeris and oriented the weapon outside of the ship's troop bay. If it fired, better for the round to go outside than to ricochet around the inner hull. She pressed her finger against the pin. It barely moved. She could feel it trying to push inside, so she applied more force until the magazine was ejected a centimeter with a distinct _CLING_ sound.

She pulled the magazine out to have a look at it. She had to pull the magazine in reality. Age was taking its toll on it. But it was also a testimony to its durability – after ninety thousand years, it still ejected the magazine. It had bullets encased in there. Real, old school, chemically propelled bullets. And they were pretty big, 12.7mm caliber.

"What would you need a gun like this for? Were they hunting thresher maws?" her assistant asked bewildered.

"I don't know. I don't even know if I want to know…" Liara muttered. She handed it to Nyxeris. "Take this to the pulley, send it up. Be careful with it," she told her.

" _You know, I heard and read some theories about how there was a technologically advanced ancient Asari civilization. Could this be the proof for it?"_ one of her team members asked on radio.

" _Those are just legends, you idiot,"_ somebody countered.

"Every legend begins with a bit of truth," Liara gently said. The troops' bay of the Pelican was pretty clean of objects, aside from that old M6 pistol. _'Perhaps somebody looted the place sometime ago,'_ she thought of a possible explanation for this. With not a lot more to discover in this dark, old cavern, she decided to grab the set of tools she had brought down with her and take samples for later study.

She would call in some favors to pull this thing out of here and conduct thorough examinations in a safer environment. _'Oh, how those old hags will beg for the chance to get access to it,'_ she amused herself with that thought. She could see the matriarchs who shunned her, the Salarian and Turian scientists who laughed at her, all begging for permission to study the ancient aircraft she discovered. That thought stroke her ego a bit.

"Nyxeris," she called her aide, "perform a scan of the cave, see if there is anything else of interest. Perhaps something was buried under all this mud – an artifact worthy of study, anything."

* * *

 _After we briefly examined the aircraft, I told Nyxeris to perform some tests on the chamber. See if we could find something of interest buried by mud. We were correct to assume that the ship crashed. And a crashed ship tends to leave debris on a rather large radius around its final resting spot. With little to do with the ship for the moment, I was preparing to take samples of the soil and of the ship's hull for laboratory analysis. Then, I was thinking of bringing heavy lifters to take the ship someplace else for study. Fortunately, Nyxeris found something else._

 _(_ _ **Doctor Liara T'Soni**_ _in the documentary_ _ **The Lost Civilization: Dawn of Homo Sapiens**_ _)_

* * *

"I have something!" she called out from her location near a cave's wall. That particular wall was mostly composed of small stones and dirt. Water was flowing beneath the wall. The tools she was using to scan were a metal detector and the Asari omnitool variant of a ground penetrating radar.

"What did you find?" Liara asked.

"There is a large chamber on the other side of this wall if my omnitool isn't lying to me. And there is something in the middle of it. Looks like a big old mount of stones and dirt. If I was to guess, I'd say it's a primitive Asari burial chamber for really respected matriarchs."

Liara dropped what she was doing and approached Nyxeris. She tapped her radio transmitter and spoke into it. "How is it looking from up there? Are there any entry holes into this second chamber?"

"The roof is mostly made of thick tree roots that's holding stone and dirt together from collapsing," Nyxeris pointed out.

" _Negative, doctor. The only entry points into the cave system you're in is through these holes you've found. Our GPR shows that there is indeed a large chamber near you. Four meters tall, by ten meters wide."_

"Would it be safe to breach from our location?" Liara asked.

"As long as we don't use explosives, biotics, or brute force… there should be no problems with the whole wall coming down on us," Nyxeris answered.

"Can you confirm, team?" Liara asked through radio.

" _Affirmative. We'll drop you digging tools to create an entry hole through the wall. You'd have to dig through a meter of dirt and stone, though."_

Liara analyzed the wall. There was a 2 by 2 meters wide section that looked like it was put together and not part of the original wall, as if it had been built to restrict access into the adjacent chamber. This was a bit peculiar. Primitive Asari communities buried their dead deep in caves. Only the most influential of matriarchs were buried under a meter and a half of dirt and stone. Whoever was buried in the next chamber must have been a person of importance to the primitive Asari who lived here. And Liara had a pretty good guess what kind of person it is – out of this world, if her assumptions were correct.

After they received a set of tools for digging, Liara and Nyxeris started to work. They'd been down there for two hours already. It took them two and a half more hours to safely make a hole large enough in the wall to pass through. The first to go through was, obviously, Liara. She squeezed her body through the narrow hole by crawling on her belly. The only light came from the lantern attached to her helmet.

"Goddess…" Liara muttered when she saw a large mound of dirt and stone in the middle to the back part of the chamber. The stones were neatly arranged in a pattern on what she was now sure was a tomb. Multiple decorative items such as necklaces made of bones, paintings on the walls, sculpted tusks, and various other items were littered around. Perhaps offerings to the deceased?

She dragged her body forward until she was clear of the hole in the wall and stood up. She carefully took a few steps forward so as to not step on an artifact. Most noticeably, on the mound was a large case made of metal. The young doctor approached the grave with wide eyes. As she got closer, she noticed that there were two…

" _Helmets?"_ Shiala asked. There were two similar helmets on the mound, on the other side of the case.

" _Am I the only one who's feeling somewhat freaked out?"_

" _Nope…"_

Liara was half a meter away from the grave. She reached for the helmet that was on the left side. It was approximately the same size as an Asari combat helmet with full face coverage. Its black paint seemed to hold. The visor was a polarized dark blue. On the top of the head, a red stripe went from the forehead to the back of the helmet. The red stripe was flanked by two narrower white stripes. It looked really advanced, but bulkier than what her people would normally use. Also, definitely not something one could make with the means available before the preindustrial era. A very well preserved artifact if somebody asked her.

Liara didn't notice Nyxeris walking up to her until she picked the large case from the grave. She cleaned the dust from its surface. The metal was silver-ish in color. Four symbols were engraved on it, UNSC. The symbols looked somewhat familiar to Nyxeris and Liara. It strongly resembled primitive Asari hieroglyphs. This whole discovery was raising more and more question with every moment that passed.

"What could it mean?" Liara asked.

"I don't know…" Nyxeris replied. "I've only seen this kind of inscription- of writing in the Rising Star cave. Could this be the proof that we've developed writing much earlier than initially thought?" she asked.

"This is all wrong… why bother painting all these walls in a primitive manner if you could write it down?" Liara wondered. They tried to flick around with the case, try to open it. But they didn't have success in that direction. So they put it aside. They'd take it to the surface.

Then, something else caught their attention. Liara noticed an object of red color under a thick layer of dust. "What is this?" she asked nobody in particular. She reached out and slowly pulled it out from under the dust.

"Piece of a cloth?" her assistant asked. But it wasn't that. No, it was rectangular. Liara shook her head in a negative response. She slowly unfolded the cloth until it was open. What she saw only puzzled her and her team to a whole new level. On a red background, there was a sort of… escape shuttle of yellow color. What disturbed her was what she guessed to be the depiction of a red skull in flames. The skull resembled an Asari skull from the front, minus the jaw. There was more writing on the cloth – or, better said, flag if Liara remembered how the Turians named these textiles. But the Turians usually had those for military units. Could this belong to some soldiers as well? On the upper left side was 19th. The right side, BN. On the lower side, the letters ODST. Liara still had absolutely no idea what she found.


	3. Ch 3 - A Common Ancestor I

**NOTE1:** Holy hell! I really did not expect this kind of success so fast with _The Lost Civilization_. Well, I thank you all for your feedback and your interest and subscription to my new story. Since I'm dealing with writer's block for two important scenes for _The Iron Heart of Man_ , I'll be working some more on the third chapter for this one.

 **NOTE2:** **Questions! I've been asked questions in the reviews**. Mainly about how and when the UNSC will join. What of the Systems Alliance? These two were the most prevalent. **My answer:** I shall not say a thing! I'd be giving spoilers if I did. Plus, I've put the year to 2130 CE (Citadel Era). That's plenty of time to maneuver around, eh? No telling what galaxies each faction originates from either. **Let us enjoy the discoveries made by Liara and worry about the OP factions later on.**

 **NOTE3:** I don't plan to leave you out with no Shepard POV. There will be a full POV chapter. Maybe in two or three chapters. It has to blend in the story. **AND PLEASE!** I did a little research on biology. Can't get everything right for those of you who study to become medics or anatomy in general. Please don't roast me alive in the comments when I'll inevitably get something wrong.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: A Common Ancestor I**

* * *

 **Thessia, Cradle Valley**

 **2130 CE**

Liara paced frantically around the burial chamber. This was the fourth day of the expedition and they were unearthing the tombs. She called in lots of equipment and safes to store the artifacts. They had hundreds of primitive Asari artifacts already. Then there was the firearm she found in the crashed aircraft. And the metallic case. It contained something inside, but they would open it inside a laboratory.

Going toe to toe with Liara's anger, her subordinates had her sit a day out due to how little she took care of herself in the past days. She barely rested, barely ate, barely hydrated herself. Her focus was on the discovery of the millennia. She neglected herself because of how hyped she was. But she wouldn't miss this moment in a lifetime. Nyxeris was slowly brushing the dirt from the bone of what was shaping out to be a skull. The eye sockets and teeth were revealed, the face bones.

"We have something!" she shouted. Liara immediately walked to her side and, not so gently, pushed aside a student that was acting as Nyxeris' aide to have the best possible view. The two eye sockets were remarkably Asari like. In fact, the whole face was like an Asari's. Perhaps this was actually a very important matriarch of times ancient, a person lost in the sands of time.

"Be careful," she said. Nyxeris simply dug out more and more dirt and revealed more and more of the skull. She was struggling to gently dig around the skull with a minuscule trowel. She was slowly but surely revealing the skull. It was when they were midway through that Liara noticed something completely out of place.

"It's too smooth!" she said while using a small brush to clean it a bit. "The skull has no ridges specific to an Asari skull. It's too smooth!"

An Asari skull has subtle ridges that extend from the upper part of the frontal bone up to the middle of the parietal bone. Those ridges follow the pattern of the head crests specific to their race. Small muscles attachments can be found here too, but those muscles became inactive – probably because the primitive Asari no longer needed their crests in their day to day lives so much, thus they remained as a decorative physiological feature rather than a sensory one.

Was this a new species of the genus Asari? One that lacked head crests? Had there been an advanced ancient civilization in the distant past? Was this a vestige of it? If so, what was it doing here, in a cave, and why not in a buried ancient city? Liara was bewildered.

Then her eyes drifted down to the maxilla and mandibles. They were broader, better defined, looked sturdier than usual. The chin had sharper angles to it. The jaw muscles were more powerful as well, further suggested by the more pronounced muscle lines . Or, at least, should have been. The sizes of the face overall suggested the individual was at least a head taller than the average Asari. Very tall by Asari standards. Perhaps as tall as a Turian young man.

Liara observed other subtle differences that an uneducated person wouldn't even notice. Contrary to any other Asari skull, this one's brow ridges were much more pronounced than normal. And its forehead had a visible sloping to it, instead of a more vertical climb than the normal frontal bone. The orbital margins were squarish, not the usual rounded style one might expect.

All these observations added more questions to Liara's already huge pile of unknowns. Could it be another Asari species unknown until now? There have been at least two species of Asari that lived at the same time in parallel some three hundred thousand years ago: Asari Sagax (intelligent, cunning, shrewd) which is the modern Asari, and Asari Rudis (named so after their more sturdy build, and their simpler and inferior tools). It was two hundred thousand years ago that the Rudis became extinct and only Sagax survived to this day. Other representatives of the genus Asari came before, but they all followed a pattern. This individual didn't obey the theory of Asari evolution, it didn't fit with the pattern.

Could very well be an alien as they believed since they found the aircraft and the technologic artifacts. But what alien could resemble an Asari to this extent? The chances for evolution to play out like this, to produce two species so similar to each other on two different planets… they must be one to a billion!

' _Who are you? What are you?'_

* * *

 _We immediately mobilized to analyze the burial chamber before unearthing the skeletons. Our preliminary analysis was very promising, so… I was very excited to work on it. We had to call in more gear from the University. Had to pull some strings to get that gear… I… wasn't really taken seriously when I was a maiden._

 _We've carefully collected the ancient items left in the burial chamber first. The various Asari made artifacts were taken out first. Then we carefully sent the… alien artifacts to the surface. For something so old, to have been preserved in such a good condition… it's a miracle and extreme luck. Especially the banner, the material is a textile. Normally, it should have degraded. But whoever sealed the chamber did a good job to keep the elements out. We were extra careful with the banner, it was showing signs of decay. The helmet was still holding quite well, but I didn't want to take any chances. We put it in a special crate that used Mass Effect fields to keep the helmet in a state of levitation. Then… we sent the small… case, if you will, the one with the inscriptions UNSC on it._

 _Then, we get to the paintings on the walls. They told a big story! After lighting up the whole chamber with flashlights, we could see that these were much more than burial decoration paintings. It was the story of these two aliens and the Asari tribe they lived with when they arrived. It was painted on every wall of the Star Chamber, as we've come to nickname it._

 _It was meant to be read from left to right. The first scene depicted primitive Asari and what we first thought to be a comet. It was no comet, of course, it was the ship that crashed in the valley some ninety millennia ago. The second scene showed us a group of what we presume to be huntresses of the tribe make contact with the survivors. I imagine it wasn't as perfect as one might imagine. The aliens are depicted in their armor and they were armed. Our ancestors depicted them engulfed in a celestial, holy light. Must have thought of them as gods. Goddess, I would too if I were a primitive and see a bunch of aliens fly down and greet me with fancy technology. We did expect the buried to be individuals of a bipedal, upright walking species as shown by the paintings._

 _The third scene shows… something spectacular, but also expected: the aliens living with the tribe. What does that tell us? They were stranded on Thessia for good, a fact further supported by the find of fossils and equipment. They taught the tribe the beginnings of agriculture and shared ideas. It's very possible that the matriarch of the tribe mind melded with them to obtain and share those ideas, language… It's seen in the fourth mural that they had such an effect as to attract multiple tribes and unite them. This could have given birth to the first Asari settlement in history._

 _The fifth mural shows what we believe to be an offspring, presumably of the two aliens. That has tremendous implications. Couple in the Asari's unique method of reproduction and you're looking at something truly astonishing. All that we needed next was a DNA sample to test our theory._

 _(_ _ **Doctor Liara T'Soni**_ _in the documentary_ _ **The Lost Civilization: Dawn of Homo Sapiens**_ _)_

* * *

 **NOTE4:** Hey folks! Thank you for reading the latest chapter. I know, it's a short one. But I want to update one more time in the next 7 days. This arc should end within ten chapters **at most**. After that… we get more into what happened with the UNSC, with Humanity.

 **NOTE5:** Special thanks to **Gabenator5** for giving my story extra exposure with a shout out. Now I'm not normally doing this (shout outs to other stories, I mean), but if you're into mystery like stories then give his Halo x ME crossover a shot. Hell, I'd recommend you all every story I have on my favorite list with all my heart.

* * *

 **A STORY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Apollonir**


	4. Ch 4 - A Common Ancestor II

**NOTE1:** Hello everyone! Welcome back to another chapter of _The Lost Civilization_! I really felt like writing the 4th chapter somewhat faster, so… here it is! I will answer a few reviews first. Since many reviews were from anonymous sources and I can't PM them 'cause they probably don't have an account, I will post here some answers (only questions that won't spoil future content). **But let me first thank you all who reviewed! Your supports and feedback really means a lot.**

* * *

 **Q1:** Spartans mating with Asari! Nope! I didn't even mention the Spartans. We only have the good ol' ODSTs rolling at the moment.

 **Q2:** Again, this story IS NOT about factions roflstomping other factions, about war, about technologies. It's about exploration, discovery, evolution.

 **Q3:** DNA test! Hey, come on, they don't have a sample. YET! Will they find one in the future? Well, if you know a bit about paleoanthropology you might know the answer to that one.

 **Q4:** Flashbacks? Nope! But I will have one or two chapters dedicated to what happened to the ODSTs. Perhaps in the very next chapter.

 **Q5:** The still persisting question about Humanity. Well, I don't want to spoil anything, but don't expect a utopia either. Won't tell you anything about the location of the UNSC, about the existence of the Systems Alliance, about the Covenant. I'll reveal it in later chapters. After all, it's been 90,000 years since the Great War. And wars leave scars.

* * *

 **NOTE2:** If you're one of those people who are into looking for hidden messages, I've left plenty of clues as to what might have happened in the past. You only have to read with attention and some very plausible ideas could pop in your minds. I only ask of you not to spoil it for others. Use a **possible spoiler** tag if you want to say something about it in the reviews. Thank you!

* * *

 **Chapter 4: A Common Ancestor II**

* * *

 **Thessia, Cradle Valley**

 **2130 CE**

It took time, but they were successful. All bones have been revealed and retrieved from the cave. The camp had grown twofold in size since they first set up here in this forest. They had to cut down a few trees to make more room. A dozen more assistants and technicians came to help with uncovering everything in the cave and analyzing the findings. Treeya Nuwani refused to come, continuing her own excavation. She had uncovered many metal tools and was now exploring the cave they were excavating. Prognostics had it that it was linked to the cave Liara found the aircraft in. It must be a huge cave for there were two and a half kilometers distance between the two dig sites.

Two full skeletons were in front of her eyes. The bones had been arranged in such a manner that it would reconstitute the original skeleton as it was unearthed. The skull of Alpha, as they nicknamed the first skeleton, left her bewildered. Beta, the second skeleton, was much more in line with Asari physiology.

Alpha was a head taller than Beta, had larger and heavier bones, was much more muscular and powerful… If she was to throw an educated guess, Liara would say these two were individuals of two different genders of an undocumented species – either an Asari race, or, as what the murals suggested, extraterrestrials.

Why did she not discount yet the possibility of them being another Asari race? The overwhelming similarities between Beta and the Asari skeleton. She, for Liara truly believed it was a female and Alpha was a male, had a much more vertical frontal skull bone than a receding slope like Alpha, just like Asari Sagax. She had smooth brow ridges, a small mastoid process, the orbital margins were round, the chin was rounder… all like a modern Asari skull.

But, what definitely placed Beta in the female camp was the pelvis. The pelvis interior was pretty voluminous compared to Alpha, and the angle of the pubic arch was obtuse. Beta definitely was a female, sporting the trademarks of any species' females that give birth to live offspring. Unlike Alpha, Beta seemed built to carry a baby in her belly. Just like an Asari. Turian females are like this, Quarian females are just like this, Drell females have a pelvis that follow the same principle.

Liara's senses were numb to the outside, to the people talking around her. She was literally suffering of what one might call 'tunnel vision'. They were debating between themselves the implications of the differences between Alpha and Beta. Liara did it with herself. Hypothesis were proposed and analyzed by her mind. The most plausible clause, aside from the possibility that they might be aliens, is that they are individuals of an Asari species that went extinct along with Asari Rudis during the last major climate change some two hundred thousand years ago. Perhaps the Asari were a species with two genders, but the males died off due to various reasons. They were capable of reproducing through melding even if their species had males. This was what she thought to be the most plausible theory.

Or that would be the case if they didn't have some metals, circuitry lobbed in the back of their skulls. There was no way they could get it off without specialized tools and not ruin the skull. This significantly tipped the hypothesis that they are aliens. Unless there was an advanced Asari civilization in the past. And they somehow triggered the last climate change and it destroyed their civilization. _'Goddess… I should be looking for more clues, not imagine the past.'_

* * *

"How's the translation of the inscriptions coming along?" Nyxeris asked a student who was working on analyzing and translating the carvings and paintings.

She turned to look at Liara's assistant before answering. "It's going well, professor. Very well, if I might say so. The resemblance between modern languages of our people and the symbols here is astonishing."

Nyxeris leant over the photographs taken inside the burial chamber. "Incredible… the first written record of our species…"

"And that's not all," the student said and gently took a collar wrapped in protective plastic in her hands. The plastic was transparent and the collar had multiple bones attached to it. It was very similar to ivory. Each bone had an inscription on it. "Every bone has a message carved in it. There are 9 bones, each one with unique inscriptions. We were able to translate some of the words."

"And?" Nyxeris asked, her curiosity piqued.

The student pointed to the first bone from the left. "This ivory has SHEPARD JOHN inscribed on it. We know the first word is a very ancient word for herder, guide, watcher. Don't know the second. Then, on the second, is WILLIAMS ASHLEY, which we believe is derived from multiple words that, when used together, mean wise and caring. The third one here," she pointed at the carving of ANDERSON DAVID EDWARD, "we believe it's for… for the equivalent of the father figure in a family. You know, like the Turians have. The fourth," VEGA JAMES was carved on the fourth piece of ivory, "may be a synonym of strong and powerful."

"Interesting… the others?" Nyxeris asked as she looked at the other pieces of ivory. Various words were carved into them: CORTEZ STEVE, JENKINS RICHARD L., ALENKO KAIDAN, MASSANI ZAEED, and BAILEY ARMANDO-OWEN.

The student lifted her shoulders to convey the fact that they don't know yet. "We don't know their meaning. They could be names for all we know… or some lucky charms, something with meaning for the deceased."

"Keep looking into these. Maybe you find something for these all," Nyxeris advised with an encouraging smile. "Write it all down and send it to my email."

* * *

While every other team was doing its own thing, Liara turned her attention to the case they brought up, the one with the letters UNSC on it. A few of her subordinates were trying to carefully open it without damaging the inside for hours now. Liara decided to check on them.

"How is it going?" she asked the matron in charge of the little operation.

"We're almost done," she answered with a voice filled with hope. "It was a nightmare, but we did it."

"Why did it take so long?" Liara asked.

"This case has two lock points that keeps it closed, like any briefcase. But these are so old that we had to literally clean and closely force them open with small sickle probes. We couldn't use something to cut it because it would severely deteriorate the content. We went the extra mile to preserve as much as possible of the case," she explained to Liara.

A gasp was heard from the desk where two Asari were working on the case. Liara and the matron walked to the desk to see it finally open a few millimeters.

"You cleaned the back too, right?" the matron asked.

"Yes, we did."

With a nod from Liara, she slowly lifted the upper side of the grey case. Light flooded the interior for the first time in 90,000 years. It was filled with various items. A plethora of items. It would take them a day to sift through all of them, Liara reckoned. But, one thing caught her attention above everything else. She reached and gently took it in her gloved hands. It was a fine piece of plastic. Time took its toll on it, as it had degraded to a certain degree, but it was still in good shape. It was a picture, she recognized. _'Definitely aliens,'_ she decided after seeing what it depicted.

A group of aliens with helmets similar to the one found lying on the tomb, clad in what seemed a mix of heavy armor plates and light insulation, with weapons in hands, posed together. They were posing triumphantly over a desolate background. But what got Liara's attention even more was what one of them was holding in his hands. The one in the middle had no rifle in his hands, but the severed head of another alien with split jaws and a bloody knife in the left hand. His right foot was planted on the bleeding neck of a creature massive as a Krogan. And it was wearing what looked like advanced armor.

Violence… members of an intelligent species killing a member of another intelligent species. This was war. But a war for what? Had these bipedal creatures invaded the Krogan-like ones? Or was it the other way around? The desolate background of a city in flames and smoke wasn't exactly telling who was invading who. Or perhaps the cause of the war was totally different.

Liara glanced over the back side to see if there was more, but it was only some writing. She didn't understand the writing, she'd need somebody specialized in languages to do it for her, but she wondered what it could mean. There was written: _Anderson, Shepard, James, Zaeed, Bailey, Ashley, Jenkins, Kaidan, and Campbell – Zaeed's first hand to hand duel against an Elite – Fumirole, April 22_ _nd_ _2552._

* * *

 **NOTE3:** Thank you all for reading the latest chapter! I know I promised to give more love to _War of the Worlds_ , but I simply had too much desire to write this one. And battling health issues cut more of my writing time. Apologies!

 **NOTE4:** I promise I'll address every review (from registered users) via PMs! I know I didn't do it lately. I hope you won't hold it that much against me :( **As for the reason why I'm publishing short chapters for this story:** I simply don't have the time to write kilometric chapters like I do for _The Iron Heart of Man_. I have a limited timeframe which I can invest in these stories. I also believe this story will not break the 100,000 words milestone. I don't expect it to. I'm not creating a whole new different alternate universe to invest tons of time and words on describing them like I did for _TIHoM_. You know the characters, you know the stories, I'll simply give you information as the story goes on on what changed in this timeline. Thank you!

* * *

 **A STORY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Apollonir**


	5. Ch 5 - Dust Swirling Into Your Shape I

**NOTE1:** Hello everybody, and welcome to a new chapter of The Lost Civilization! I know, the wait was long. But I have priorities that need to be tended to on a daily basis. Writing fanfiction doesn't bring me neither a loaf on my table, nor a roof over my head. I write these stories out of a secondary interest, as time pass, as an exercise of imagination. I hope you can understand that. Thank you.

 **NOTE2:** Regarding an important question in the reviews submitted by an anonymous user, I didn't take any inspiration from stories like Clash of Civilizations or from Anomalous Effect. While I understand why you'd think that, this story isn't based on theirs. I'd have given a shout out to those if I was to take inspiration from them. They're fantastic stories, can't deny that. But mine is a standalone.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Dust Swirling Into Your Shape**

* * *

 **Thessia, Cradle Valley**

 **Expeditiom camp, 2130 CE**

Liara sealed the photograph in a special case for archaeological finds. This way it would be preserved in the best of conditions until it reaches a laboratory for analysis. She and a few other team members were sifting through the items in the metallic case they just cracked open.

There were multiple of these plastic items with images on them – photographs. Very few, but they were there. And what the next pictures showed… let's say that Liara and her team had been in awe. She was expecting something like this, but not on this level.

The next picture that Liara looked at showed two of these aliens without any armor on them. How much they resembled the Asari! It should be impossible for this kind of evolutionary similarity. Liara truly started to doubt the fact that they were truly aliens, aliens in the literal sense of the word, with no ties to her own species. The proof in her hands demanded that theory be given credibility and interest to investigate.

One of the aliens was tall, muscular, and with a wide frame. Liara and the other Asari around her would be lying if they said they didn't find him somewhat attractive. Something inside of them simply told them that this attraction is only natural. As if this happened for many eons before. Had to be a male. His open color skin, pinkish white, was covered by what she reasoned must be hair growing on his head and face. His sharp blue eyes bore into Liara's blue eyes through the ages of time itself. She sensed something familiar in those eyes, but couldn't place her fingers on it exactly. His ears were so unique, but in the same spot an Asari's ears would be, even if they're more like slits in a deepened channel where the jaws connected with the crests. His attire looked simple as well, but screamed military. The colors of the uniform were dark and gray. A bird's logo was emblazoned on his left chest side. A skull was with some letters ODST, just like on the banner they found on the tomb.

Opposite of the male in the picture… there was a female. Her hair, _'this is what the Quarians called it, right?'_ , was a beautiful curtain of dark that extended from her head to her shoulders. Her more pinkish skin contrasted her brown eyes. Her frame was smaller than the male's, significantly smaller. Her fatigues were the same as the male's. A glass was in her hand, some brown liquid inside. The male held a paper with _"Helljumper on alcohol"_. She held the glass raised a bit above her eye level. And the smile that adorned her face was so beautiful… The room they were in was pretty colorful, but the details were obscured by the two aliens in the picture.

' _Could these two have been lovers who served in their people's military?'_ Liara asked herself. They showed great familiarity and happiness in each other's company. But were they allowed to be part of the same branch of the military if they were in a relationship? While not banned in Citadel space, having a couple serve in the same unit wasn't tolerated by most officers. She gently flipped the photo on the other side to read what was on its back. More writing. _19_ _TH_ _BATTALION DRINK CONTEST WINNER_.

"Can you believe this?" Nyxeris asked Liara. "The level of resemblance…"

"I feel it hard to believe myself… for two different species to evolve like this… The odds are near zero," Liara replied as her eyes were still lingering on the picture. "To know there were more than these Asari like beings…" she muttered as she remembered the decapitated Sangheili from the previous photo.

"Do you think they're still out there?" Nyxeris asked.

Liara shook her head after a few moments of consideration. "I certainly hope so. Although the chances are again near zero."

"Why do you think that?"

"Our preliminary analysis puts these artifacts at roughly 80,000 to 90,000 years old. That's even older than the Prothean relics. Perhaps they were the Protheans. Perhaps they succumbed to the same cataclysm that destroyed the Prothean civilization," Liara explained, catching the attention of the other Asari around her. "I do intent to find out."

"We must move the skeletons to a laboratory as soon as possible. Perhaps we can still find preserved DNA in the teeth," Nyxeris pointed out.

"We will move them as soon as the next convoy comes to supply and transport the artifacts."

Liara walked to the skeleton of Beta with the photograph in her fingers. She gently took the skull with the mandible in her right hand, the photo in the left. She held her hands close to each other. She was comparing the face of the female in the picture with the skull's features. Her imagination reconstructed the flesh and muscles on the bone. Slowly, but surely, a face adorned the bones after many years – a ghost of the past. She was so focused and captivated that she was losing track of the surroundings.

' _Who are you? Where are you from..?'_ she asked herself. From inside her mind, a voice called out.

" _Mommy, where do we come from?"_ an Asari like voice called in her head. A feeling of warmth and sorrow overwhelmed her when the voice spoke in her head. Her vision was starting to blur.

" _We come from a place far, far away, sweetie,"_ a sweet voice like a matron's answered.

" _Where is that place?"_ the childish voice asked again.

Her head started to hurt. Purple blood was slowly coming out her left nostril.

" _Up there… somewhere called Earth,"_ the matron's voice spoke again in Liara's head.

Suddenly, Liara felt her legs give way and crumble under her own weight. With a desperate effort, she moved her right hand so that she'd drop the skull near the skeleton, on the soft towels the bones were resting on.

"Liara!?" she heard Shiala shout as she entered the tent.

"Doctor!" one of her students exclaimed as she attempted to catch her from falling. Her ears were feeling full, as if they were filled with water. Darkness overtook her. **[1]**

* * *

 **[1]** Wow! What happened to Liara there? Can you guess? Curious what theories you might have on this incident. But it will be explained sometime later on, in future chapters. Like really in the future chapters. Nothing impossible, I assure you. The tile of the chapter might also offer a hint.

* * *

 **NOTE3:** Hey, guys! Thank you for reading my latest chapter! I am sorry for the late update. I don't have much free time. I have to work both for my job, for my bachelor degree, waste time at the faculty, and then gym in the evening. Sorry, folks. I try to update, but not much time to write as much as I'd like. Perhaps after I graduate I will have much more time. I'll try to update as frequently as time allows me to. Perhaps a month? Take care!

 **NOTE4:** Oh, and this is for reviewers who review from anonymous/guest entries – I can't answer your questions since there is no way for me to PM an inexistent account.

* * *

 **A STORY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Apollonir**


	6. Ch 6 - Dust Swirling Into Your Shape II

**Chapter 6: Dust Swirling Into Your Shape II**

* * *

 _The Asari brain is something… extraordinary. It is capable of processing and storing so much information… it's incredible! We are so unique, so… I hardly find the words to describe this. We are special. Liara T'Soni and the Humans have shown us that._

 _(_ _ **Doctor Lexi T'Perro,**_ _expert in Asari biology, psychology and lead researcher in mind melding at the T'Soni Association for Brain Research,_ _ **The Lost Civilization: Homo Sapiens and Asari Sagax**_ _)_

* * *

 **Thessia, Republic of Edosh**

 **Serrice General Hospital, 2130**

The name of Benezia T'Soni is widely known and respected in Asari space. So much so that when the young Liara T'Soni was brought to the hospital in the city of Serrice the staff has not hesitated a moment to treat her.

Benezia made sure to secure the best doctors for her Little Wing. Right now, she sat by her side. Liara was in a bed under close watch. Medical machines were monitoring her every second of every minute. She was brought in with a utilitarian sky car directly from the expedition's camp. All Benezia knows is that she simply collapsed while studying the alien bones she discovered.

"She's dreaming again," one of the medics by her side said. "Prepare another doze in case she becomes agitated again!"

Another medic prepared a syringe with a white liquid inside. Some medicine to calm her down when the dreaming starts to become all too real for her mind. When she was brought it, the adrenaline levels were abnormally high and her body was trying to react to whatever her brain was dreaming.

"Matriarch, please vacate the room," the chief medic told her. "Doctor T'Perro should be here in any moment."

Benezia let go of Liara's hand. The maiden's eyes were moving behind the eyelids and she was starting to sweat once more. There were dry traces of purple blood that had flowed from her nose in her previous episodes.

"Little Wing…" she worriedly called to her daughter. Benezia stood up and walked to the door, her eyes fixated on Liara's face all the time. Outside the room, on the hospital's hallway, doctor Lexi T'Perro was waiting for her to come out.

"Matriarch Benezia," the doctor greeted her.

"Doctor, what is the diagnostic?" she asked, cutting straight to the matter of interest.

T'Perro brought up her omnitool's interface, Liara's medical files at the ready. "It's hard to tell, matriarch. Our examinations were thorough, but we still can't determine how to break her from her current state. Manifested symptoms are in line with intense dreaming and abusive mind melding. Her brain's readings show she is experiencing some sort of shock every time one of her dreams becomes too intense. Her body goes as far as to believe it might be in danger. She unconsciously reacts to the dream. We had to tie her up to the bed to make sure she does not hurt herself," she explained.

"What could have caused this?" Benezia asked. "Simple fatigue does not do that. What is it with the mind meld symptoms?"

T'Perro sighed, knowing how hard it will be to explain something she herself doesn't really understand. "Her condition is unique, without precedence as far as I know. From what the researchers who brought her here told me, this started as soon as she held that skull in her hands, and seemed to focus on it too much. I'm overwhelmed by the prospect of it being an alien skeleton, but she might have triggered a mind meld… somehow… with the skull," she said, fully knowing how weird it sounded. "We still don't fully understand how Asari melding truly works. There are many mysteries left to uncover there. This might be one of them. Last time I've seen abusive mind melding symptoms like Liara is manifesting, it was at an Ardat Yakshi."

"Are you telling me my daughter is an Ardat Yakshi or something?" Benezia half asked, half demanded.

T'Perro's hands shot up to chest level in defense. "No, I did not. Just that the symptoms are similar to what happened to an Ardat Yakshi. But those are not alone. The dreaming and the body's reactions are unique. It's almost as if something inside her brain activated, like a switch turning on. I wish I could tell you more… What I can do right now is monitor her condition and investigate."

Benezia's eyes moved from the doctor's frame to the visage offered by the hospital's windows. The city below was seeing to its day to day duties, still unaware of the monumental discovery her daughter made, and discovery she was part of right now.

* * *

Liara wanted to move her eyes left and right. They didn't obey her commands. She felt once more like a passenger in one's body. She had lost track how many times she experienced this before. The past… visions, dreams – if she could call them that – were very hazy, like a dream you just had and forgot 95% of it when you woke up. Oh, how much she wanted to remember them. It was a pity that this vision too will be secluded somewhere in her subconscious.

She was seated at a table, exotic dishes waiting to be eaten. She did not recognize any of it. But she was eating. And she loved the taste of it. Other people – aliens – were sitting with her at the table. All looking somewhat similar to the female alien in the picture. But they were very small in stature. Children, she figured.

"Mommy, Sarah is not eating! Can I have her meat?" she asked. Or, more exactly, the person she was part of asked. She was in the body of a child!

Another alien, this one looking much more similar to the female in the pictures, came into the field of view. Her chest told her that much, if the matron like voice was not enough. "Ash, no! Sarah! Eat your meat!" she commanded as she sat down at the table with the four children.

"Darling! Bad news!" an authoritative voice shouted. Another of these aliens, this one definitely a male, came running into the room. Most likely the father of the family.

"What happened?" the mother asked.

"Turn the TV on!"

Liara saw the mother stand up and turn on a display attached to the wall. She felt again the taste of chicken flood her tongue. On the TV, as it was called, the image of another human appeared. He was wearing black clothes with four pins on each side of the collar.

"…has shocked us. Any attempt at peaceful dialogue was rebuked and the aliens invaded the colony. The local UNSC garrison and the Harvest Militia stood firm in the face of this terror. Although technologically and numerically inferior, they held their ground until Admiral Cole and Battle Group X-Ray defeated the single alien ship and relieved the siege.

Ladies and gentlemen, I will not lie to you. Humanity has been deliberately and attacked without provocation by aliens. Throw all the Insurrection bullshit out the window! This is a fight for our very survival! The time for unity is now, not tomorrow.

The UNSC is mobilizing in force to combat this threat. All reservists will be recalled for active duty. Report to your nearest UNSC office as soon as you receive the order for mobilization. May God help us all," the military man said before being replaced by the news anchor.

"That was Rear Admiral Hieronymus Michael Stanforth with the first military official comment on… on the alien attack…"

Liara felt uneasy with every moment. A feeling of dread was engulfing her stomach. Was she feeling the feelings of the person to who the memory belonged?

"My father was sent to Harvest with two Marine Corps divisions," the father said.

"Will big papa be ok, daddy?" Liara's heard her own body's voice.

The answer never reached Liara's ears, for everything turned blank again and she lost consciousness once more. She prayed she remembers as much as possible of this vision / memory.

* * *

 **NOTE1:** Hello, folks! Another short chapter! So, what happened to Liara? Your answers are on the right path. Buuuut! It's not as easy or simple as you might think. This whole episode will be important when the Asari learn the secrets of mind melding in the future. It is more complicated than a simple trigger of genetic memory. And it's impossible to interact with the neural interface because there is no energy left in it.

 **NOTE2:** Thank you all for your support! It helps me feel more motivated to write and bring these chapters to you. Although writing time for both stories ( _The Iron Heart of Man_ and _The Lost Civilization_ ) took another big blow (gym in the little free time).

 **NOTE3:** I will answer to the reviews for the latest chapters on both stories in the following days via PMs, as usual. Sorry, I always say that I reply once more folks review and then forget or remember while at work.

* * *

 **A STORY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Apollonir**


	7. Ch 7 - Mono No Aware

**IMPORTANT NOTICE!** Updates will come at a crawling pace until this summer (mid to end July) because I have to prioritize real life stuff (job and bachelor degree). This is the last answer I give to people asking when I will update. All three of my stories will suffer from this. I will no longer address this question from this point on. Thank you! And enjoy the latest chapter :)

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Mono No Aware I**

* * *

 **Thessia, Republic of Edosh**

 **Serrice General Hospital, 2130**

Liara's eyes met the dim evening light that invaded her hospital room. Her eyes were afraid to fully open up. She struggled against the dark orange light's invasion of her eyes and looked around. The dimly lit room was unfamiliar to her. She was, though, able to tell that she was in a hospital if the furniture was any clue.

She saw someone sitting in an armchair by the door. The person's head was hung low. Whoever it was, she was sleeping. Her garments were dark in color, yet details could not be distinguished. Liara's eyes darted to herself. She had butterfly needles in her arms, plastic tubes constantly feeding liquids into her body. She wanted to call out to the person that was asleep, but she could not muster the voice. What came out instead was a series of hoarse sounds.

That was enough to attract the person's attention. She lifted her head with a yawn. "Little Wing…" she said. If the voice was any hint, it was her mother. Benezia immediately rushed to her daughter's side and cupped her cheeks in her hands. "Liara," she whispered her name. The mother was too happy to register her child's attempts to speak.

"Wa… te… er…" Liara was able to mutter through her mother's warm embrace. Benezia reached for the water bottle, opened it and held it to Liara's lips. She drank it like she didn't have water in a very long time. Benezia took the time to notify the hospital staff that Liara woke up. Soon enough, in 20 minutes or so, the doctor was here to check Liara who had been resting, gathering her strength.

"Doctor T'Soni, how do you feel?" she asked Liara while checking her.

"Like waking up from the dead…" she replied. "And hungry."

"No wonder you are hungry. I guessed the intravenous supplements were not enough. Your brain consumed unusual amounts of energy," she said. "It looked like your mind was trying to break free from your head."

"It would not be too far away from the truth," Liara said, a migraine taking hold of her head.

T'Perro nodded to a medic. "Bring her dinner," she instructed the nurse before turning her attention to Liara. "Extensive and livid dreams were the norm for you."

"What did you dream, Little Wing?" Benezia asked in a hushed voice. "What did you see?"

Liara stood up and leaned back on the pillow against the wall. She tried to recollect the scant memories she has of what she had been dreaming for the past weeks.

"I… I'm not sure," she began. "I'm struggling to remember… it's like I'm seeing pieces of a puzzle, many of them, but don't see where they can go. It is as if I lived another whole life… The experience is… I don't have words to describe it. Do you know the saying that one's life flashes before their eyes moments prior to their death?" she asked and got a round of affirmative head movements. "It was like that. My whole… past life? Yes, past life flashed right before my eyes."

"According to your colleagues that brought you here from the dig site, it started the moment you have touched an… alien skull?" T'Perro half asked, half stated.

Liara looked at her for a moment before turning her head to the window and gazing at the cityscape horizon. The reflection of her person in the large window met her eyes. A regular blink to moisture the eyes and it was entirely somebody else's reflection staring back at her. Flowing dark hair, pink lips, white skin and dark eyebrows… none were hers. Liara stared at the person in the reflection a moment too long, the migraine growing ever more painful.

"Little Wing?" Benezia called her.

"She was… beautiful," Liara muttered with admiration.

"She?" Benezia and Lexi asked at the same time.

Liara nodded once. She blinked and the image disappeared. Her eyes were seeing her body again, not illusions of memories that were not really hers. "She was a woman… I think. She lived a life of sorrow, of loss… and happiness in the end," she said with tears gathering in her eyes from resurgent emotions. Emotions that were not her own to begin with. She felt the same despair as that woman did in her life, the loss, the tragedy, and the happiness at the end of it.

"Perhaps we should leave her to rest," T'Perro suggested. Benezia was hesitant at first, but agreed to leave her daughter alone to eat and sleep.

"I shall inform your team that you are better. They will want to hear about your situation," Benezia said before leaving. "Good night, Liara."

"Good night, Mother," the young one said, her gaze still lost, alternating between the setting sun and the bed sheets. When she ate, she found the taste of food strange. It's almost as if she forgot what normal food tasted like.

But there was something else she did not notice until after she finished eating. On the nightstand by her bed a datapad was resting in peace. Curiosity overcame her and she reached for it. The datapad activated and a message greeted her.

" _Doctor T'Soni,_

 _It's been a good number of days since you've been sleeping. Regardless of your accident, I knew you would not want us to waste time and continued with our investigations. We moved the ancient aircraft to one of your family's holdings in the Republic of Edosh._

 _The team continued researching the cave. We have discovered that the cave actually connects to a large network of underground passages and caves. Further research showed the smaller tunnels have been dug by hand with help of metal tools. The inner cavern has been superficially explored and ground penetrating radar scans show that it is going deep under the mountain range. Oxygen tanks and masks will be necessary to delve deeper and explore, as well as additional security measures. The cave where Doctor Treeya Nuwani's team discovered metal tools is linked to the system._

 _Most importantly, we have unearthed seven more graves in a separate chamber. The skeletons have been unearthed with many material possessions in their graves. We have recovered six full battle armor suites, each presenting varying degrees of deterioration but preserved in good enough condition nonetheless. There was one skeleton buried with multiple hand made items that were not found in the other graves. The first six have the same circuitry implanted in their skulls and their reconstituted physique is much more imposing than the eighth individual. All of them bear similarities to subject Alpha, thus deducing them to be male equivalents. Detail are available on site._

 _Furthermore, in Alpha's and Beta's burial chamber we have discovered an old manuscript sealed away in a separate, smaller container. The writing is consistent with the symbols found on the aircraft and on the other artifacts. We believe this to have been a paper journal of the individuals. Sample of the paper concluded that the paper is made of a plant that does not belong to Thessia. The explanation lies in the results – the paper is made of nothing we have on the homeworld. In the following slides you will find pictures of the manuscript. We are working on translating it to the best of our abilities. More details once we have them._

 _I hope you'll be back up soon._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Nyxerix."_

Liara was happy that her team went ahead with the research. She scrolled further down until the end of the document came in sight. She swiped sideways to see the pictures attached by Nyxeris to the extremely brief report. She wanted to see the pictures so badly. Not that she expected to understand them once she laid eyes on th-

" _For any of you who may one day find this journal, know that we lived here once. We came from far away, from among the stars. We died with no knowledge of our home. We yearned to return as we made here our new home. Think of us as you dust off the eons off our bones._

 _We cheat Death from his rightful victory. No one can defeat us. We are glad to plunge feet first into hell in the knowledge that we will rise. We are ODST, Orbital Drop Shock Troopers!_

 _John Shepard – Sergeant Major, First Platoon, Bravo Company, 19_ _th_ _Shock Troops Battalion, 105_ _th_ _Shock Troops Division, United Nations Space Command Marine Corps"_

Her mind suddenly stopped working and rebooted. She could not believe it! She made a double take just to be sure. And she was sure now. She could actually read it and understand the language… she even felt warmth and comfort when reading that name… John Shepard… what did that female's skull do to her? She must remember!

* * *

 **NOTE1:** I know, very late update, I am sorry for that. But I had my reasons, some fairer than others. I will do my best to update consistently for all three ongoing stories, though I know that will be a forgone cause in reality. Thank you for reading, folks! Next chapters will be longer, but not by too much.

 **Next:** we see the story from Shepard's point of view after they crash landed on Thessia. It will take a good number of chapters, maybe 5 to 10 short chapters. After that arc, we return to Liara's discoveries :D like, what is the impact her discoveries made on the galaxy? What is there to these mysterious aliens? Where do they come from? Who are they?

* * *

 **A STORY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Apollonir**


	8. Ch 8 - Shipwrecked

**NOTE1:** Hello folks, and happy new year! You thought this was dead? No, I just focused a lot on _The Iron Heart of Man_ the past months. I have found myself wanting to write a couple chapters for _The Lost Civilization_ too. Please enjoy the latest chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Shipwrecked**

* * *

 **Unknown planet**

 **December 14** **th** **2552**

His eyes were heavy. As heavy as lead. After years of service and fighting of the Covenant… And he ended here, burying his friends and comrades. His weight was rested upon a rock in the ravine where the Pelican crash landed. He only had six to bury: James, Steve, Zaeed, Jenkins, Anderson and their copilot. For all that it was worth, he could not find the Marine medic's body. He had been flung out of the troop bay when they hit the ground, his belt snapped.

Shepard's right hand's index and middle finger curled around the cigar. His eyes still staring at nothing in particular. He lowered the cigar and slowly exhaled the smoke from his lungs. The sound of water dripping down on the rocks from the trees above was not enough to break him from his trance. It was only when Ashley came out of the Pelican that he finally regained his senses.

"Only the bare necessary," she said. Shepard turned his head to look in her direction. She came outside of the Pelican with a BR55 rifle instead of her SRS99C-S2 anti materiel sniper rifle.

"Have you tried the radio again?" he inquired.

She sat down beside him, sharing the same rock. She rested her rifle between her legs. In response to Shepard's question, she shook her head in a negative response. "Don't think we're on any known planet. Or anywhere near UNSC space. If there was anybody on this world, we would have gotten a response to our SOS."

"Fucking load of shit…" she heard him curse with low voice. Ashley turned to look at him as he inhaled from the cigar again. In this moment of silence, when they were no longer focusing on killing aliens and surviving, she could afford to relax and look at him. The Shepard she knew was long gone. The last few years of war had most definitely changed him for the worse on the inside. He was no longer that Shepard she had met when she was transferred to their platoon, she spent the free nights stargazing, reading poems or giving each other shit. On the outside, his beard had grown quite a lot. His hair had also grown significantly since his last haircut. Now, he looked every bit the war torn veteran.

He felt her eyes linger on him a moment too long and turned to face her. "What is it?" he asked.

Ashley's composure kind of started to break at this point when she registered the tone he used. "We just crash landed on an alien world, we have no contact with any UNSC forces for the last 3 days," she started her rant as she stood up, voice straining, "we are severely low on supplies… And we've just buried the last of our platoon!"

His eyes lingered on her for a few seconds before he looked at the graves he dug in the opening of the ravine's wall. He tugged the cigar again between his lips and dragged another long one from it. He grabbed his BR55 and walked towards the opening in the ceiling where a whole lot of rocks and trees have fallen as a result of the Pelican crashing and bringing down the weaker wall of the small ravine.

"Where are you going!?" she demanded.

"I had a look around while you were sleeping last night," he said as he approached the fallen rocks and began climbing them. "We ended in the mountains. I've spotted natives headed our way in early morning. They should be here anytime soon."

"Natives?" she asked as she grabbed her own BR55. She detached the magazine and checked the ammo. She had a full clip and two other as reserve on her person. She walked up to where Shepard stood, her rifle shouldered and ready to point it at a target. "Why haven't you said anything until now? What are they? Aliens?"

Shepard scanned the surrounding area. The trees at the foot of the mountain must be covering their approach. "Bipedal. Got a good glimpse of their group. They look like Humans. Primitive level of technology."

Ashley got up and stood beside him. She was sleeping during early morning. Shepard slept for 6 hours when he took up guard duty and Ashley went to sleep for six hours. One had to stand vigil over the other's safe rest and over the bodies of their comrades who did not survive so that a local predator would not end up consuming their bodies. James was the only one to survive the crash aside from Shepard and Ashley. But he suffered injuries to the head and he did not make it through the second night. Shepard and Ashley survived with bruises and non incapacitating injuries.

"How primitive?"

"Spears were the most dangerous objects I've noticed," he replied. "They are most likely headed our way to investigate the crash."

She used her binocular to scan the tree line below their elevated position on the slope of the small mountain. "Can't see them…" she reported. "Are you sure this is not a Covenant trick? There's no such thing as friendly aliens."

"What about the Elites? They helped."

"Yeah, only because without us they'd have been toast," Ashley reasoned. "I'm not buying the bullshit. It was just a matter of convenient rhetoric."

"Well, that fancy Elite, the Arbiter I believe he was named," Shepard stated, "did get some of our boys out of the shit. And they helped the second time against the stinking apes."

Ashley grunted. "Ugh, don't call those pieces of crap ape. You're insulting every primate."

"Fair enough," Shepard acknowledged as he scanned the surroundings. "There!" he indicated with his head slightly moving. "I see them. They've been watching us."

Ashley brings the binoculars to her eyes and looks in the direction Shepard gestured at. "Holy shit!" she curses as her eyes fall on perfectly Human looking faces, only the blue color of the skin and… tentacles instead of hair. They looked like they were growing backwards, similarly to an Elite's rear helmet protrusion. And they did not have ears like she has. There were four of them Ashley could see, all staring at her and Shepard with spears in hands. "They're armed!" she states the obvious and puts her helmet on her head, after which she slings the rifle into firing position. She pulls the bolt and a bullet is introduced into the barrel.

"Easy there, Gunny!" Shepard puts his hand on her BR55's barrel and forces it to point down into the dirt.

"Sergeant Major," she does not take her eyes off the aliens, "aliens with weapons."

"We are running low on rations and we have no idea when, or if, someone will come for us," he voices his concerns. "We might need the locals' help to survive."

"You think the UNSC will leave us behind?" she demanded with an incredulous tone to her voice.

Shepard turned to face her. "Ashley, think this through!" he almost commanded her. "Earth was just attacked! The fucking homeworld! The death toll's in the billions for Earth! What the fuck does the loss of an understrength platoon mean?" he demanded and waited for an answer from her.

"…nothing," she managed.

"Exactly! Nothing! We're disposable! We were meant to be from the day we enlisted on this suicide run. Every mission was a Russian roulette where only one chamber is empty and the others are loaded. For all the UNSC cares, we've been caught in the Halo's blast," he ranted. "We are MIA. If this was a UNSC controlled world, we would have been rescued."

She let the rifle hang from her right hand after Shepard forced her to confront the reality she had denied. "So this is it?" her voice frail.

"I hope not," Shepard answered. He brought the cigar to his mouth again and took another long smoke from it. "But it does look like it. And I want to survive for as long as I can and wait for possible rescue sometime in the future."

When she didn't say anything he continued. "The radio's battery will last for five years on standard SOS configuration. They survived the crash. They look like the friendliest aliens I've ever seen."

"Considering we've only seen genocidal shit heads…" she pointed out.

"I'll take a bunch of primitives over nothing. If all fails, we'll find where they live and we will loot them," he exposed his reserve plan. "Though cooperation would be better."

"And? When will we approach them?"

"Leave it to them approaching us," he advised. "They're studying us. Let them gain the confidence to approach us and we'll work from there. It might take another day or two."

He turned and walked back to the ravine entrance and sat down again. "Are you smoking Zaeed's cigars?" Ashley asked after she noticed the logo on them, following closely behind him.

"Yeah… he won't be using them anymore. Might as well save them."

They took everything of value from their bodies before burying their comrades – ammo, weapons, food, grenades, knives, utilities. Nothing left behind, but their ODST battle dress uniform. They would not deny them that honor.

"Pass it to me," she requested and Shepard handed her the last quarter of the cigar. She clutched it between her lips and had her fill of lungs. "I already miss them…"

"Aye…" he muttered beside her. "Happy end of the war!" he smiled bitterly.

* * *

 **NOTE2:** Well, this was just the first of the chapters that will focus on Shepard and Ashley after the crash. I will stick, to your immense ire – I know, to the short chapter format. I feel like this is what will work best for me on this story. And, with this new arc, we will be having a glimpse at the past and I will give you even more hints on the origins of the Asari, on their evolution. Shepard and Ashley will still be relevant to the story even after this arc is over and when we are back to Liara. But it might be a while until we will see them again after this arc is over. Don't worry, no spoilers given here.

 **NOTE3:** I want to publish multiple chapter in the following few months and I might set TIHoM a bit on the back burner.

* * *

 **A STORY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Apollonir**


End file.
